Week 1: O'Keefe mindset article

Question 1

What does entity theory about mindset entail? (2)

Answer 1

Intelligence is limited and fixed
Performance goals are important

Question 2

What does incremental theory about mindset entail (2)

Answer 2

Intelligence is improvable
Learning goals are important

Question 3

What situations do entity theorists avoid and why do they do that?

Answer 3

Situations in which they might fail
Because it highlights their incompetence and they want to avoid this at all costs

Question 4

What is the focus in assessment situations regarding entity theorists and incremental theorists? (2)

Answer 4

Entity = prove abilities
Incremental = improve abilities

Question 5

What are the 3 types of self-evaluative motives (3)

Answer 5

1. Self-assessment = diagnosing one’s own ability
2. Self-improvement = improving abilities
3. Self-enhancement = achieving or maintaining a positive self-image

Question 6

Within self-assessment; what is the difference in entity vs incremental theorists?

Answer 6

Entity = focus on comparison with others
Incremental = focus on comparison with (past) self

Question 7

Within self-improvement; what is the difference in entity vs incremental theorists?

Answer 7

Entity = avoid self-improvement assessments
Incremental = seek information and evaluate abilities looking for ways to improve

Question 8

Within self-enhancement; what is the difference in entity vs incremental theorists

Answer 8

Entity = desire for defensiveness; self-handicapping
Incremental = Desire for growth

Question 9

What are the 2 defensive strategies of entity theorists?

Answer 9

1. Self-handicapping (anticipating failure)
2. Self-serving bias; downward comparison (recovering from failure)

Question 10

What is the difference in entity vs incremental theorists regarding social comparison?

Answer 10

1. Entity = downward comparison
2. Incremental = upward comparison

Question 11

What is the favorite self-evaluation motive of entity and incremental theorists? (2)

Answer 11

1. Entity = Self-enhancement
2. Incremental = Self-improvement

Question 12

What is the difference between what entity vs incremental theorists value and what experiment provides proof for this finding?

Answer 12

1. Entity = value talent
2. Incremental = value effort

Series of scores showed:
entity = those with high initial scores are talent full what happens later in the series not important
incremental = those with improving scores in the series are talentful